An assault charge in Colorado can turn a single bad moment into a felony file, and the grading often comes down to how one sentence in a police report describes an injury. In Lakewood and across Jefferson County, prosecutors move on these cases quickly, and the account that reaches the district attorney is usually the arresting officer’s version rather than yours.
Shazam Kianpour & Associates has handled thousands of criminal cases across the Denver metro area, including a steady volume of assault matters filed in Jefferson County. Mr. Kianpour graduated with honors, finished top of his class in criminal law, and has spent more than 20 years working with prosecutors and courts throughout Colorado. A criminal defense lawyer in Lakewood who steps in early has time to collect evidence while it still exists, reach witnesses before memories shift, and challenge a charge graded higher than the facts support.
Colorado splits assault into three degrees, and the line between them turns on the severity of the injury, whether a deadly weapon was involved, and what the state believes you intended. Two people in nearly identical altercations can face very different exposure because of it. First degree assault under C.R.S. 18-3-202 is a class 3 felony reserved for intentionally causing serious bodily injury. Second degree assault under C.R.S. 18-3-203 is a class 4 felony covering a broader set of conduct, including strangulation and assaults on peace officers. Third degree assault under C.R.S. 18-3-204 is a class 1 misdemeanor and requires only bodily injury, which can include physical pain.
Both felony degrees are treated as crimes of violence in Colorado, which carries mandatory prison exposure on conviction. Even the misdemeanor version leaves a permanent record that surfaces in background checks and can affect your firearm rights.
Lakewood has no courthouse of its own for state criminal matters. Assault charges brought under Colorado law are filed in the Jefferson County Combined Court in Golden and prosecuted by the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Charges filed under the city code go to Lakewood Municipal Court on South Allison Parkway, where the city attorney handles prosecution. A single incident can sometimes generate a case in both venues at once.
The Lakewood Police Department makes most local arrests, while the Colorado State Patrol works the US-6, I-70, and C-470 corridors running through the city. Which agency responded shapes what evidence exists, from body camera footage to dispatch audio to whether a supplemental report was ever filed. Assault charges also frequently arrive attached to something else, whether a domestic violence charge filed after a call to the house or a roadside confrontation that also produces a traffic charge.
Assault cases look simpler on paper than they are in practice. They usually arise from fast, chaotic events with intoxicated participants and conflicting accounts, and the initial report captures whichever version the responding officer heard first. Our attorneys work each case from the facts up rather than from the charge down.
Some of the defenses that may apply in a Lakewood assault case include:
A strong defense starts with an independent investigation rather than a reaction to the state’s file. Because the degree charged drives everything that follows, finding the weakness in how an injury was classified is often the highest-value work in the case. Assault arrests that happen alongside drinking also need to be defended as one connected problem, particularly when a DUI or DWAI charge is filed from the same night.
Our firm is not a revolving-door operation. Mr. Kianpour, Eric Chenoweth, and the rest of the team have worked together for more than a decade and handle cases collectively, with each attorney reviewing the others’ work so nothing slips. When you call, you are not passed to a junior associate meeting your file for the first time.
Mr. Kianpour began his career as a government state defender, which means he knows how prosecutors build a case from the inside. He has tried a wide range of felony and misdemeanor matters, including felony assault, and has built an extensive network of relationships across the Colorado criminal justice system. He is a member of the Colorado Bar Association, the Denver Bar Association, the American Association for Justice, and the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar. You can review the full team handling your case before you decide.
Our office sits in Denver, roughly 15 minutes from Lakewood via I-70 West, and we appear in Jefferson County courts regularly. We are available to Lakewood clients across the full range of criminal and traffic defense matters.
Not on its own. In Colorado the decision to file and pursue charges belongs to the prosecutor, not the complaining witness. If the other party declines to cooperate or recants, the state can still proceed on body camera footage, medical records, or third-party witnesses. That said, an uncooperative witness materially weakens the case, and an attorney who regularly appears in the First Judicial District will know how to put that in front of the right prosecutor.
A municipal charge is filed under the Lakewood city code and heard in Lakewood Municipal Court, with lower maximum penalties and no felony exposure. A state charge is filed under Title 18 in the Jefferson County Combined Court in Golden and can be a misdemeanor or a felony. The same conduct can sometimes support either, so which venue the case lands in is itself worth fighting over.
A felony assault conviction results in the loss of firearm rights under both Colorado and federal law. A misdemeanor third degree assault conviction does not automatically do so, but if the charge carries a domestic violence designation, a federal prohibition attaches even to the misdemeanor. Gun rights should be weighed before any plea is accepted, not after.
It depends on the degree charged, the volume of evidence, and the court’s docket. Misdemeanor cases sometimes resolve within a few months. Felony matters, especially those charged as crimes of violence, can run considerably longer because of motions practice and expert review of medical evidence. Building the defense early tends to shorten the process rather than extend it.
Criminal charges do not wait for convenient timing, and neither should your response. The decisions you make in the hours and days after an assault arrest can shape the outcome of the case and the opportunities available to you afterward. If officers have contacted you but nothing has been filed yet, that window is frequently the best chance to change where the case ends up.
At Shazam Kianpour & Associates, P.C., we treat criminal defense as urgent work and provide the experienced advocacy needed to protect your rights. Our 22+ years in Colorado criminal law, a dual prosecution and defense background, and more than 10,000 cases handled set us apart from larger firms where you may never speak directly with your attorney. Reach out through our contact form to schedule your consultation, and we will start building your defense without delay.
Written by
Shazam KianpourDenver Criminal Defense Attorney & Founder, Shazam Kianpour & Associates, P.C. — Over 10,000 criminal and traffic cases handled across Colorado.
